On Saturday, 7 November 2026, the US State Department declared Ibrahim Charara, Lebanon’s Consul General in Detroit, Michigan, persona non grata. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered his removal, giving him a 48-hour window to leave the country. The decision followed the resurfacing of 2021 social media posts of Charara that described the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing—which killed 241 American servicemen—as an act of "heroic resistance" against occupation. Confirming the move, a State Department spokesperson stated, "A visa is a privilege not a right. Anyone in the United States who celebrates or justifies terrorist attacks has no place in our country." Charara departed the US on Sunday, 8 November 2026 Charara has disputed the posts, claiming his old account had been hacked.